Bird cage



Patented @et 23, 1928.

narran STATES LE'WICKI J. LEON, OF CHICAGO, LLINGIS.

BIRD CAGE.

Application filed June 23,

This invention relates to bird cages, whereinthe separable bottom wall of the base is releasably connected with the marginal wall thereof for opening the base without separating the same from the cage body.

One object of my invention is to provide fastening means consisting of pins and slots on the respective parts and released by turning one part with respect to the other.

Another object of my invention is to locate the fastening means inside the marginal wall s0 that said means will be housed and not project outside the cage to hit against other cages to mar or injure the nish thereof in handling during packing, shipping, or at other times.

@ther and further objects of my invention will appear from the following specification taken in connection with the annexed drawings, in which- Fig. 1 is a side view vof a bird cage embodying the features of my invention;

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view taken through the base of the cage and the part of the cage body immediately thereabove;

Fig. 3 is a view showing the base, tray, and removable bottom wall, disassembled and positioned in the order of their assemblement, the marginal and bottom walls of the base being in section;

4i is a horizontal sectional view of one of the fastening means, taken on line 4 11 of Fig. 2;

FiOf. 5 is a vertical sectional View of a modified form of fastening means;

Fig. 6 is a horizontal sectional view taken on line 6-6 of Fig. 5;

Fig. 7 is a vertical sectional view of another form of fastening means; and

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of the fastener of Fig. 7.

As illustrated in Fig. 1, the cage comprises a body 1 and a base 2, both circular in form and with the top of the cage body 1 dome shape, as shown.

The base 2 has an upright marginal wall 3 made in the form of an annular band from a single strip of material, such as sheet brass or other sheet metal, with its meeting ends secured together in any suitable manner, as by rivets 1. rIhe wall 3 has beads 5, 6 at or adjacent its upper and lower edges.

The cage body 1 includes spaced wires 7, 7 and a lower member or ring 8 around the lower edge of the body, as shown in Fig. 2, The ring? 8 ie and is arranged horizontal 1924. serial No. 721 674.

to enter the channel formed by the upper bead 5 on the wall 3. In assembling, the wall 3 is applied about the ring 8 and its ends fixed together to lock the ring 8 in the bead 5 and hold the base 2 and cage body 1 against separation.

The base 2 is closed by a separablecircular bottom wall 9. This wall has a marginal flange 10, upright when the parts take the form shown in Figs. 2 and 3. The flange 10 extends into the wall 3, and, in accordance with my invention, fastening means arek employed to detachably or releasably connect the marginal and bottom walls together, so that the base 2 may be opened whenever desired to remove the tray 11 for cleaning or otherwise without separating the cage body 1 and base 2.

The fastening means shown in Figs. 2, 3, and 4- takes the form of co-operating fastening members carried by the walls 3 and 9, respectively. n

As illustrated, the bottom wall 9 carries a plurality of upright arms 12, 12 having their lower ends bent to seat against the bottom wall 9 on the inside and be secured thereto. These arms 12 project above. the flange 10, and at or adjacent their upper ends have outwardly extending studs or pins 13, one on each arm. Inside the wall 3 and carried thereby above the flange 10 are a plurality of keepers 14 of metal spaced apart circumferentially, the same as the arms 12. These keepers 14 are provided with bayonet slots 15 for the studs or pins 13. Said slots open downward through the lower edges of the keepers and have horizontal upper portions, as shown.

When in the base 2, the bottom wall 9 occupies the position. shown in Fig. 2 and is held closed by the pins 13 in the horizontal sections of the slots 15. The lower edges of these sections may be notched to hold the pins 13 therein. To open the base 2 for removal of the tray 11 or for any other purpose, the bottom wall 9, by engagement with its under side, is turned in a direction to carry the pins 13 into the verticalsections of the slots 15, whereupon all the pins are released and the bottom may be taken out of the base 2, carrying with it the tray 11. In replacing the bottom wall 9, its pins 13 are inserted in the vertical sections of the slots 15 and turned when the horizontal sections are reached.

Another form of this fastening means is shown n Figs. 5 and 6. There the bottom wall 9a has its marginal flange 16 extending downward. On the inside of this flange 16 are carried a number of relatively flat spring catches 17, circumferentially spaced apart. Each catch 17 is secured at one end, as by rivets 16, to the flange 16. The other end of' the catch is free and bent to provide a finger' piece 19 spaced outward from the flange 16 for convenient grasping. Said catch 17 carries a pin or stud 20 adjacent its free end; Said pin 20 extends toward the wall 3EL through an aperture or hole 21 in the flange 16. The wall 3 above its lower bead 6a has holes 22 corresponding in number to the catches 17 to receive the pins 2O carried thereby and releasably loc-lr the bottom wall 9a and marginal wall 3 together. Grasping the finger pieces 19,the pins 2O may be Withdrawn from the holes 22 and release the bottom wall 9EL for removal.

Still another form of fastening means is shown in Figs. 7 and 6. As there illustrated, the bottom wall 9b has a depending marginal flange 23 carrying on the inside spring catches 24 secured at one end, as by rivets 25, to said flange. The opposite ends of said catches are free and are bent outward from the flange to provide linger pieces 26 for eonvenient grasping. Near its free end, each catch 24: has a lug portion 27 extending toward the wall 3b under the lower edge of the flange 23 to enter the channel formed by the lower bead 6a on said wall. The lug 27 may be formed integral with its catch. illhen in the channel, the lugs 27 hold the bottom wall 9b in the base. To be removed, the catches 24 are drawn in to release their lugs 27 from the bead 6l.

By the structures shown and described the cage may be opened to take out and put back its tray 11, or 'for any other purpose, without likelihood 'of the bird escaping' because separation of. the cage body 1 and base 2 as heretofore is avoided. The fasteners being concealed and housed by the wall 3 cannot contact with other cages or surrounding objects to mar or injure the same during packing, shipping, or handling. Even in the form shown in Figs. 5 and 6, the pins 2O do not project out far enough to do damage. The lower bead 6Z1 is a guard in this form as well as the surrounding wall 3a. f

The wall 3, as well as the base V2 and its parts, may be made of relatively light sheet material, either metal or pyroXylin, Celluloid, or the like. rlhese materials are supplied commercially in different colors without 1n uch difference in price, thus allowing diiferent finishes for the bases 'with no cost for finishing in colors;

The details of construction and arrangement of parts shown and described, as-wel] (ill as the shapes ot the cages, may be variously changed and modified without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention. Moreover, the bottom wall of a base may be used as the tray, thus eliminating a separate tray asat 11.

claim as my invention: v

A base for bird cages having a marginal wall and a separable bottom wall, said bottom wall having an upright marginal flange to extend into said marginal wall, arms carried by the bottom Wall and projecting above said flange, pins carried by said arms, and keepers with bayonet slots carried .by said marginal wall on the inside to receive said pins `for releasably connecting the marginal and bottom walls together.

ln testimony that l claim the vforegoing as my invention, I affix'my signature, this 20th day of June, 1924.

LEWICKI J. LEON. 

